17th Women's Leadership and Empowerment Conference [WLEC2026]
  • Home
  • About WLEC
  • Dates & Location
  • Call for papers
  • Admission & Fees
  • Register
  • FAQ
  • ARCHIVE
    • WLEC2025 >
      • WLEC2025 Agenda
      • WLEC2025 Speakers
      • WLEC2025 Proceedings
    • WLEC2024 >
      • WLEC2024 Agenda
      • WLEC2024 Speakers
      • WLEC2024 Proceedings
      • WLEC2024 Photos
    • WLEC2023 >
      • WLEC2023 AGENDA
      • WLEC2023 SPEAKERS
      • WLEC2023 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2023 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2022 >
      • WLEC2022 Agenda
      • WLEC2022 Speakers
      • WLEC2022 PROCEEDINGS
    • WLEC2021 >
      • WLEC2021 AGENDA
      • WLEC2021 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2021 PROCEEDINGS
    • WLEC2020 >
      • WLEC2020 AGENDA
      • WLEC2020 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2020 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2020 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2019 >
      • WLEC2019 AGENDA
      • WLEC2019 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2019 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2019 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2018 >
      • WLEC2018 AGENDA
      • WLEC2018 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2018 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2018 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2017 >
      • WLEC2017 AGENDA
      • WLEC2017 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2017 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2017 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2016 >
      • WLEC2016 AGENDA
      • WLEC2016 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2016 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2016 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2015 >
      • WLEC2015 AGENDA
      • WLEC2015 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2015 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2015 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2014 >
      • WLEC2014 AGENDA
      • WLEC2014 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2014 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2014 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2013 >
      • WLEC2013 AGENDA
      • WLEC2013 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2013 PROCEEDINGS
    • WLEC2008
    • WLEC2007
    • WLEC2006
  • WHO WE ARE
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About WLEC
  • Dates & Location
  • Call for papers
  • Admission & Fees
  • Register
  • FAQ
  • ARCHIVE
    • WLEC2025 >
      • WLEC2025 Agenda
      • WLEC2025 Speakers
      • WLEC2025 Proceedings
    • WLEC2024 >
      • WLEC2024 Agenda
      • WLEC2024 Speakers
      • WLEC2024 Proceedings
      • WLEC2024 Photos
    • WLEC2023 >
      • WLEC2023 AGENDA
      • WLEC2023 SPEAKERS
      • WLEC2023 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2023 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2022 >
      • WLEC2022 Agenda
      • WLEC2022 Speakers
      • WLEC2022 PROCEEDINGS
    • WLEC2021 >
      • WLEC2021 AGENDA
      • WLEC2021 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2021 PROCEEDINGS
    • WLEC2020 >
      • WLEC2020 AGENDA
      • WLEC2020 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2020 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2020 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2019 >
      • WLEC2019 AGENDA
      • WLEC2019 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2019 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2019 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2018 >
      • WLEC2018 AGENDA
      • WLEC2018 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2018 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2018 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2017 >
      • WLEC2017 AGENDA
      • WLEC2017 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2017 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2017 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2016 >
      • WLEC2016 AGENDA
      • WLEC2016 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2016 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2016 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2015 >
      • WLEC2015 AGENDA
      • WLEC2015 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2015 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2015 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2014 >
      • WLEC2014 AGENDA
      • WLEC2014 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2014 PROCEEDINGS
      • WLEC2014 PHOTOS
    • WLEC2013 >
      • WLEC2013 AGENDA
      • WLEC2013 PRESENTERS
      • WLEC2013 PROCEEDINGS
    • WLEC2008
    • WLEC2007
    • WLEC2006
  • WHO WE ARE
  • Contact
11TH WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT CONFERENCE [WLEC2020​]
8th - 10th of March 2020, Bali, Indonesia
​The Patra Bali Resort & Villas
and RETREAT: "THE POWER TO TRANSFORM"
11
th - 12th of March 2020, Bali, Indonesia
​The Patra Bali Resort & Villas
Flyer

WLEC2020 BEST PRESENTATION AWARD
elected by the conference participants:
​
Your Story Can Change the World:
How Connecting to Your Story Transforms Your Confidence, Business and Impact

Ms. Laura Reid

​KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: 
THE POWER TO TRANSFORM ~ HOW GLOBAL WOMEN WILL LEAD FROM THE INSIDE OUT
​When Sleeping Women Wake Mountains Will Move – I was thrilled when I first heard this beloved Chinese Proverb!
 
I immediately imagined a story.
 
And it went something like this: 
Once upon a time, a powerful group of women lived in a village high up in a hidden mountain range close to the Himalayas. They were called Keepers of the Dreams.  They were what today would be called thought leaders and influencers and held the keys and tools to the Universe and its vast secrets. The very ‘powers of being’ were theirs to help people of the earth transform their world in whatever way the people chose.
 
All was good and beautiful.
 
Then, one fateful day, when lightening lit up the skies, and the thunder roared, fear and anger gripped the earth, and a dark cloud fell over all the world. In that moment, in the darkness and confusion, someone, somewhere made an object and cried out, "Here it is! This is what will save us!"
 
And so, the power of the dreamers became overshadowed by the belief in things. The dreamers found themselves swept up in a world of diminishing human value whose toxic soil provided no place for the planting and nurturing of dreams.  
 
The Keepers of the Dreams appeared irrelevant to this world of instant gratification and ever bigger and better things. Their teachings and insights, about what it means to lean into one's inner power and wisdom, were deemed out of place in this ‘modern’ environment. So, these Keepers of the Dreams decided to retreat and ponder all that had happened and to try and determine what their place was in the world, given these changes. They appeared to be in a deep sleep.
 
I am here to tell you, "It is time." Time to awaken, time to listen to the whispers of our hearts and minds that stir with the very soul and depth of mountains. It is time to lean within and connect with that inner power and wisdom and to bring that truth to the world.
 
To do that it takes a level of initiative, of collective support and nurturing, of accountability and forward progress. When we choose to come together and create a supportive network of power filled individuals, mark my words, mountains WILL move!
Picture
Mozella Perry Ademiluyi [USA]

​Through her innovative programs, Mozella leads individuals, teams and their companies toward a better understanding of how attaining important goals, like climbing mountains, is best achieved when each person and the group as a whole are fully prepared, engaged and responsible. When a critical mass of empowered individuals has been reached, and when the team believes and can articulate the concepts that fuel their aspirations, then the heights to which they and their company soar are limited only by their definition of success.

Mozella’s gifts for helping others navigate creative new paths originated in her childhood. When she was nine, she and her family moved from Miami, Florida, to the African Continent to fulfill her father’s lifelong dream. Cultural exposure and friendships forged across East and West Africa, Europe and Asia filled young Mozella’s heart and mind with unforgettable sights and ideas. A passionate world traveler to this day, she brings her deeply-wired global perspective and cultural appreciation everywhere she goes and to everyone she meets.

An international speaker, author and poet, Mozella earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Howard University. She is a member of the Bars of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and is admitted to practice before the United States Court of International Trade. Mozella serves on several boards in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and is a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington Class of 2014. She is also Founder of Rising Sun Programs, a non-profit organization that teaches young people and their families how to achieve personal and financial well-being through wealth literacy℠.
​
Mozella is married with three grown sons and lives in Potomac, Maryland.

THE BEST WAY TO EMPOWER WOMEN IS TO EMPOWER YOURSELF
My father died when I was just 8 years old. This tragedy made me who and where I am now.
My mother was 28 and had 3 small children. She was courageous and very intelligent but sometimes I could hear her crying and at my despair, the only thing I could do was saying, “Mam, I love you” and kissing her. But one day I found a four leaf clover which saved us.She married again with a good man and I received two other sisters. I became the eldest daughter of five. I took my role very seriously.

My mother was an entrepreneur and had a nice boutique in Porrentruy. Just before my 15th anniversary, I joined her business. It was not my dream but I have to recognize that I learned a lot during those years, especially working 12 hours a day… and with a smile. My reward was that I was the queen in the boutique and very proud of it.I worked in my mother’s business until I married. I was22 when I arrived in Lausanne and I had to face a harsh reality: I could not find the job I was looking for. How could they believe that this young woman was so experienced? I was frustrated.

I decided to go back to school and discovered that I was pregnant. I had my two children one after the other and juggling breast-feeding, changing diapers I studied. Despite this extremely busy life, at 27, I got my “maturité fédérale in science”, like the baccalaureate in France.

As a girl, as a wife, as a mother I gave up my dreams. I had to support my mother, then my husband and finally my children.
In '82, my children were 11 and 12, it was time to take a move for myself. I joined the Ecole d’Ingénieurs de Bienne and became the first woman engineer in computer science for all Switzerland. I was just 40.
From my childhood, I thought that I was on this earth to help the others to achieve their dream… until a certain day when my daughter told me: Mam you are not a good example for women. You keep telling us that we have to be independent, to follow our dream and… what do you do? You sacrifice yours to support the others. You have a dream, please realise it to allow me to realize mine. She was just 23.
The emotion overwhelmed me and I cried on myself. When I woke up the next morning, I became the powerful woman I was and took my destiny in my own hands. My daughter was right:

The best way to empower women is to empower yourself
Or
The empowerment of another woman is a reciprocal gift.
​

That gave me the courage to create my company, DELANCE in 1996, at the age of 50.
Picture
Giselle Rufer [SWITZERLAND]
President and CEO - DELANCE Swiss watches for women

​A true precursor to eco-responsible behavior and more moved by personal, intuitive know- how than by any collective awareness, Giselle Rufer founded Delance watches with universal values in mind. Solidarity, humanism, creativity, spirituality and good citizenship are the ingredients of this 100% feminine, eco-responsible brand. Giselle Rufer feels that she has a mission to inspire and motivate women to be all what they can be. She created Delance in 1996; the company is celebrating his 23rd anniversary this year. Her creation, the Delance watch serves as a model of creativity, courage and excellence for all entrepreneurs, women and men alike.

​As a featured speaker at many conferences, Giselle Rufer share her knowledge with all those who dream of creating their own business. The driving force in Giselle Rufer’s life is to be in harmony with herself, to do what she loves doing, for those whom she loves. She is a creative, receptive and open person who loves to use her energy and enthusiasm to impart her working philosophy to others. 

Her story, “Butterfly in a Storm”, “Papillon dans la Tempête” and “Schmetterling im Wind” by Diana S. Zimmerman can be found on Amazon.

CLAIMING YOUR SELF ESTEEM
We are all powerful, beautiful and brave.

I was born and raised in a family of five children from Mauritius. Ever since I was a little girl, I was criticized by some people on my colour skin and body type. When I have reached college, things did not get better. I was physically and mentally bullied, whilst living my parents’ divorce at the same time.
At the age of fifteen, I was so mentally drained that I have attempted suicide. I knew I didn’t want to die. But I didn’t want to live either. I just wanted to sleep and stop suffering. I was lucky to be taken to the hospital and to be saved. From that very moment, I have realized that this was indeed the best worst day of my life. From the moment I woke up and saw my loved ones, I knew I wanted to live and accomplish beautiful things.
For years, I have worked hard, doing extra hours, coping with various representative positions within the tourism field while providing translation services to different firms. I have always loved to socialize and communicate with people from across the world. I have always thought that communication provides a wider vision on the world and create bonds which get us motivated to open up to others and to move further.
2012 has marked a turning point in my life when I married a French citizen I met less than a year earlier. During our marriage, I have experienced physical and mental abuse. I have been humiliated like I never thought I would be one day. My former husband was also the kind of man who didn’t want me to achieve anything that would surpass his position in the society and as a chairperson.
After years of difficult mental recovery, my objectives became clear. I have always been a woman with moral values and personal convictions. I knew that there were things that nobody would ever be able to take away from me; and these very things were my education, determination and motivation to help others. I have decided to work hard, starting with completing my PhD in Management with the Michigan State University. At the same time, I undertook my professional qualification scheme through the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of UK (ICSA). My studies were a good escape.
After a severe nervous depression due to this toxic relationship, I have finally decided that it was time to move forward. I left the one I vowed my life to and I moved into my own apartment to start all over again.  However I was still constantly depressed and sad over my failed wedding.
The depression was such that I had to leave Mauritius. I stayed in Greece for a while until I found the strength to come back to Mauritius to face all these difficulties. I came back stronger than ever before even though I knew things would not be easy.
The proof that efforts are always paid off happened in July 2018. After years of doubts, tears, pain, hope, sleepless nights, motivation and passion, I have finally received the good news. I became a Doctor of Philosophy with a major in Management and this with high honors. This was the accomplishment of tough and dedicated works since years.
Patience is gold. And this was another amazing step that would keep me going, face the world and inspire people from across the Globe.
My life has been full of ups and downs but I would not be the person I am today if things were to be different. The day we are thankful for bad situations is the day we realize how strong and blessed we are because situations help us grow and become the better version of ourselves. We must always fight for our own dreams and passions. Only by being happy can we make others happy and feel empowered.
​Nobody can define you except you. Know your worth!
Live your life passionately and under your own terms.
Picture
​Carine J. Ferreira [MAURITIUS]
​

​is the Managing Director of Aurora by Carine Ferreira Ltd which is a privately held company specialized in different services notably Marketing Communications Services and Solutions, Interpretation and Translation Services and Management Consultancy. 
Her proficiency in four international languages has led her in being appointed as a legal interpreter for the Supreme Court of Mauritius. 
Carine received her PhD in Management with high honors from the Michigan State University. She also graduated from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators from the Governance Institute of the United Kingdom. 

Her experience and knowledge have placed her on different international platforms to speak on Effective Management and to provide her Management Expertise to various Multinational Corporations. 
​
Her latest book, The Legacy of Hope, is an auto biography that speaks on mental and physical abuse. This is another platform and fight dears to her heart and for which she is often requested to act as a Motivational Speaker during different empowerment events worldwide. 

​Carine is a former beauty queen who received the Leader of the Year Award 2017 at an international contest in China. She was also rewarded the Woman Icon of the Year Award 2019 at the 6th World Women Leadership Congress and Awards in India for her inspiring path and achievements.

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE:
Picture
Dr. Gerald W. Fry is a distinguished international professor in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. He received his BA from Stanford University, an MPA from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, and his PhD from Stanford University. Previously, Dr. Fry was a professor of political science and international studies at the University of Oregon where he also directed the International Studies Program and the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies. He was the team leader for major Asian Development Bank projects in Laos and Thailand related to education reform. He has previously taught at Stanford and various universities in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. In 1991–1992, he was a Pew Fellow in International Affairs at the Kennedy School at Harvard.  Among his many publications are the books Pacific Basin and Oceania; The International Education of Development Consultants: Communicating with Peasants and Princes; International Development Dictionary; Thailand and Its Neighbors: Interdisciplinary Perspectives; Synthesis Report: From Crisis to Opportunity, The Challenges of Educational Reform in Thailand; Association of Southeast Asian Nations; Historical Dictionary of Thailand; and Education in Thailand: An Old Elephant in Search of a New Mahout.

Picture
Dr. Susan Crosbie has been teaching in the Arabian Gulf for over thirteen years. During the academic year, she is adjunct faculty at Dhofar University, Salalah, Oman, and is the English Coordinator at International Pioneers School, Salalah.
​She has a doctorate in education from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, USA. 

Picture
​Prof. Lisa Morgan has always been intrigued by the concept of good leadership, which inspired her to join the Canadian Air Force and attend college at Royal Roads Military Academy in Victoria, British Columbia. Leadership has remained an interest and focus since those early days as Lisa launched her own midwifery practice in 1999 and started graduate school in 2003.
​During these last couple of decades Lisa has acted as a consultant and Global Health Project Manager in Cambodia, Myanmar, Rwanda, Philippines and Tanzania. Lisa has coordinated global and Indigenous women’s health committees for the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, and has served on numerous councils, committees and boards of directors, never shying away from assuming leadership positions. Along with her employment as the Director of Laurentian University’s School of Midwifery, Lisa is preparing to defend her PhD in Health Policy and continues to research the provision of reproductive health care in low resource settings.

Picture
​Mora Ferández is an activist, consultant, speaker and sexual and domestic violence advocate. As a survivor of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation on her childhood, she has dedicated her personal and professional life to advocate for children, women, indigenous communities and undocumented immigrants. Mora has worked hard to give voice to victims by using her leadership position and her testimony as a survivor to break the silence of this silent epidemic.
Mora is the Founder and CEO of La Casa Mandarina AC (LCM) an independent non-profit organization based in Mexico City devoted to end sexual violence through ARTivism and co-leader of FORCE: upsetting rape culture. In 2018, she received the Honorable Mention of the Hermila Galindo Prize 2018 awarded by the Mexico City Human Rights Commission (CDHCDMX) to her outstanding work and career in favor of the human rights of women and girls in Mexico. In 2014, she was awarded in New York and India for her for her work in sexual violence prevention against women and children. Mora is also an extremely passionate traveler, an amateur sculptor and an excellent dancer born in Mexico City but a citizen of the world.

Picture
Laura Reid  is an award-winning storyteller, international speaker, writer, coach and founder of Storyforth (www.storyforth.io). 
Laura is on a mission to bring more stories into the world! She specializes in teaching introverted professionals, business owners and leaders how to break through fear and grow their impact, their confidence and connect deeply with those they serve. Having overcome a severe stutter and social anxiety, Laura is uniquely equipped to serve those who wish to build public speaking and networking confidence. Laura has experienced the power of owning her story and the transformation and positive impact it has had on her life and business and is now passionate about teaching others.  Laura lives on the Big Island of Hawaii with her family where she enjoys a mix of purposeful work, excursions into the unknown and floating in the ocean. 

Picture
​Dr. Victoria Kain is an international researcher in the sensitive area of neonatal palliative care. She is Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs at Griffith University in Brisbane Australia and leads a diverse team of academics to prepare the next generation of professional nurses. Dr Kain has authored a neonatal nursing textbook and many peer reviewed papers in the areas of learning and teaching as well as in the area of neonatal palliative care. 
She travels extensively as an invited speaker in her areas of expertise, and she is a visiting Professor at universities in Japan and Taiwan.  
This is her second year serving as Faculty for the Annual Women’s Leadership and Empowerment Conference.

Picture
Dr. Sharifa Al Yahyai is a researcher, writer, and motivational speaker. Dr Al Yahyai is an academic expert in women rights in both the Sultanate of Oman and GCC. She played a significant role in improving national polices related to women rights in Oman during her position as a Minister of Social Development from 2004 to 2011. During her role as a Minister of Social Development, Dr Al Yahyai had an important role in the history of Omani Women which resulted in designating October 17th as the Omani Women’s Day by His Majesty, the Sultan of Oman. Since her appointment as Minister of Social Development in 2004, Dr Al Yahyai has been participating actively in a number of national and international conventions related women’s empowerment, child rights, civil society and the overall social development in Oman. She presented a number of papers on women’s empowerment, leadership and examining legislation and practice in Oman in national and international conferences. On the policy-making level in Oman, she was appointed as a board member in a number of national councils such as the Higher Education Council, The Research Council and headed the National Committee of Family Affairs, and the UN CEDAW Committee. Most importantly, in Nov 2005, Dr Al Yahyai has received Civil Ordinance of Oman- Class II by HM The Sultan Qaboos. In 2008, Dr Al Yahyai has awarded the Arab Woman distinguished Award from Arab Women Foundation in social Work.  In Dec 2018, Dr. al Yahyai received the Arab Women Award of Year 2018 by London Arabia Foundation and Regent London University.


RETREAT: "THE POWER TO TRANSFORM"
11
th - 12th of March 2020, Bali, Indonesia
​The Patra Bali Resort & Villas
​We invite you to think back on the last few conferences or workshops you have attended. Now, as excellent as they were, what was probably missing in each one of them?
 
Perhaps your follow-through? What do you do with the great contacts and inspiring ideas that you walk away with – most likely all piled into a neat little conference bag or package?
 
If you’re like most of us, it all goes onto the shelf of good intentions.
Unfortunately, there it sits and sits – waiting for you to take action on your networking and learning opportunities.
 
WLEC has a 2020 Bali solution for you: After three eventful days of conference speakers and a wide selection of topics, you have the unique opportunity to add on an action and impact filled day and a half in beautiful Bali to learn how to actually implement what you need for the year ahead. WLEC has invited international speaker and leadership facilitator, Mozella Perry Ademiluyi, to share one of her internationally acclaimed Mountain Peak Strategies Workshops to ensure you have what you need to make the critical difference as you return home. At the WLEC 2019 conference, Mozella was chosen by fellow participants and speakers as the most outstanding presenter.
 
Most importantly you will walk away with an exciting, actionable plan, that you will be guided to create for your organization’s unique needs. We will help you empower yourself so that you can guide your teams to be more engaged, productive and balanced too.
 
We invite you to join a group of like-spirited professional women as we explore challenging questions and seek answers together. You will have the opportunity to reignite your energy and learn practical strategies to uplift yourself and your team.
 
If you seek change that leads to transformation, then this workshop is for you!
 
Our time together will be fun and rewarding. You will be inspired to initiate new actions and enhanced results.
 
Attend “The Power to Transform” workshop if you want to:
  • Identify and acknowledge which roadblocks are slowing you and your organization down. Create a step by step map that keeps you and your team navigating the often-challenging terrain along your journey!  
  • Develop messages and schedule key actions that will fire up your team’s creative energy. Yes, it takes time, and yes, there will be challenges to overcome, but meaningful change can be achieved!

​Determine what YOU can do differently to inspire you and your team. Identify. Apply. Repeat.  ​
​​​It’s Possible to go all the way to the summit of success! ​
​CONFERENCE PARTNERS:
Mountain Peak Strategies
KIM Women's Centre Bali
The Patra Bali Resort & Villas
ONEWORLD Alliance

Women's Leadership and Empowerment Conference 2020 Agenda
Picture
Women's Leadership and Empowerment Conference 2020 Presenters
Picture

Tomorrow People

Tomorrow People Organization
Dusana Vukasovica 73
11 000 Belgrade
Serbia
Tel. +381 62 680 683
www.tomorrowpeople.org

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Quick Links

About
Dates and location
Call for papers
​Fees
Registration
​Contact
Tomorrow People Organization logo

Copyright Tomorrow People Organization © 2002-2025, All rights reserved.